


Language of Averted Eyes

by RiptidesBoyfriend



Series: Fics For Folks [1]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Hoist feeling one (1) tender emotion for someone: changed my mind. refund please, Hoist: love being just an average everyday mech who doesn't stand out it's great, also according to tfwiki the quotation marks around visages is part of the bars name, and have to confront your feelings of loneliness and inadequacy head on, bc mirage is a pretentious bastard, its all fun and games until you catch feelings for someone, ok so in the comics sometimes his optics are yellow other times blue so i just went with blue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:49:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22555108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiptidesBoyfriend/pseuds/RiptidesBoyfriend
Summary: How lonely it is to fade into the background. How wonderful it is to be seen.
Relationships: Hoist/Self-Insert
Series: Fics For Folks [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1627060
Comments: 3
Kudos: 16





	Language of Averted Eyes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mari_Cruise](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mari_Cruise/gifts).



> This was written for the fantastic @mari-strider on tumblr! She wanted some good old fashioned pining and sweetness with Hoist, a criminally underrated character

Hoist had seen humans before. Unlike some of the others aboard the _Lost Light_ he'd spent some time on Earth and had been up close and personal with more than a few, so the arrival of the new, _human_ crew member hadn't excited him the same way it did the others. Even some of those who _had_ been on Earth, like Rodimus, were giddy at the thought of an organic coming on board, while others were just excited to have a new face around on the ship. Either way Hoist didn't share in their enthusiasm, content to continue on as he always had.

But then the human had arrived and completely captured Hoist's attention. Without even saying a word she had managed to ensnare him entirely and when she'd gone around to make her introductions he'd been so distracted he nearly didn't catch her name, and only just remembered to give her his own. 

When she held out her hand, so small in comparison to his that she likely couldn't even grasp a single one of his digits, he held his out in return, letting her take the lead out of the fear that he would accidentally hurt her otherwise. 

The first brush of her skin against the metal of his hand was, in a word, electrifying and he could feel his engine hitch, just slightly. She curled her fingers around one of his own, and distantly, a part of him noted that he’d been right about her being unable to fully hold onto even his smallest digit. At the forefront of his thoughts though was just how _warm_ she was. Cybertronians weren’t typically cool to the touch, by virtue of their mechanical anatomy they tended to retain and emit some heat, but the warmth he exuded and the warmth she gave off were altogether different.

She moved to shake his servo, and while she had no hopes of ever forcibly moving him, he dipped and raised her hand the way she clearly wanted him too. “It was nice to meet you Hoist. I look forward to working with you.” She gave him a bright smile and he silently prayed that she couldn’t hear the click of his vocalizer resetting. 

“It was nice to meet you too, Mari.”

That had been their first meeting and despite Hoist’s desire for it to be the first of many, he struggled to approach her. When Swerve had said that there was nothing memorable about him he’d let the sting of his words roll off of him like water, taking a vicious sort of pride in his ordinariness in comparison to the rest of the _Lost Light’s_ crew. What did it matter if he was remarkable or not? He didn’t need to be the center of attention, didn’t need anything other than to make it through another day relatively intact. He was managing, taking what he could get, when and where he could get it, and that was enough for him. At least it _had_ been enough, and if it hadn’t been then he had fooled himself into thinking it was. 

Now, though, he wished he stood out a little more. How could he compete with the likes of Rodimus, Drift, or even Ultra Magnus? They all had a presence to them that commanded the attention of everyone around them, including Mari. Hoist was average in every way and couldn’t even figure out how to strike up a conversation with her, only just managing to return her greetings whenever she passed by, flashing him yet another brilliant smile.

On the few occasions he did manage to get close to actually talking with her, someone else always managed to pull her away before he had the chance to do so himself. In the time she’d been on the ship he’d never once managed to speak to her one-on-one, and with the rate he was going at it seemed like he never would.

So caught up in his own thoughts, he’d never considered that maybe she wanted to talk with him as much as he wanted to talk to her, so the day she’d walked into his workshop he’d been completely caught off guard. His first assumption was that she was perhaps lost, or needed something from him, but all she’d done, beyond saying hello, was seat herself at the end of his workbench using the jetpack Perceptor had constructed for her. His initial confusion only deepened when instead of telling him that something needed repairing, she asked him how his day had been so far, smiling up at him expectantly. 

After a brief moment of hesitation he’d told her that his day had been fine, consisting of his typical routine of conducting basic repairs necessary to the _Lost Light’s_ continued functioning, then asked her how her day had been, not wanting to seem rude or as if he was in a rush to kick her out. She’d immediately launched into a detailed explanation of her day, coaxing a laugh out of Hoist as she described the kind of shenanigans she’d had to deal with from the other crew members (namely Rodimus and Whirl, _especially_ Whirl). Mari kept the conversation flowing with ease, smoothly switching from topic to topic without any awkward pauses in between. She was also incredibly attentive, always making sure to pause and ask him about his opinion on something or give him a chance to interject. Hoist was by no means shy, but it was admittedly very nice to have someone actively make sure he was enjoying himself and fully engaged with the conversation, talking _with_ him rather than at him.

He hadn’t even realized that his shift had ended until she finally stood up from her perch, stretching out with a deep exhale as she gave him a sunny grin and thanked him for entertaining her before promptly disappearing out the door. He saw her again later that night at Swerve’s and thought about asking her to join him for a drink or two, but she was sitting at the bar chatting enthusiastically with Swerve and Skids, looking positively radiant with joy, and as she threw her head back in laughter Hoist decided that it would be better to leave her alone.

It had been nice, incredibly so, to talk to her but Mari was as charming as they came so that had been unsurprising. It likely wouldn't happen again though as she was always busy attending to her own duties, helping out around the ship, and generally being the most sought after individual on the _Lost Light_. That was why it had been so shocking to see her pop up in his workshop the first time. 

For her to then come back a few days later, and then to see her back again after that, and again after that, until Mari stopping by to visit him several times a week had become a normal part of his schedule, was unimaginable yet that was what happened. It had gotten to the point where if someone else was looking for Mari and couldn’t get ahold of her, one of the first places they checked was his workshop. 

Today’s visit had extended past the end of both their shifts and they had agreed to continue the conversation at Swerve’s, only to change their minds when they walked in just in time to see Whirl gleefully take a swing at a pair of ‘bots in the process of attempting to wrestle each other to the ground. Skirting around the chaos as Ten worked on breaking up the fight, they snagged some drinks to go from a grumbling Swerve, Hoist tucking them into his subspace for safekeeping. 

They ended up taking refuge back in his workshop, Hoist making himself comfortable on his stool and leaning back against the workbench while Mari took her usual spot, putting her at his elbow. He pulled their drinks from his subspace, careful to not accidentally spill or crush hers as he handed it to her, tiny fingers brushing against his lightly as he did, sending a slight shiver through his frame.

“So much for hanging out somewhere other than the workshop for once.” Mari laughed, tipping her beverage at him in a ‘what can you do’ gesture. “Not that it matters where we hangout, since I always enjoy spending time with you.”

Hoist’s engine revved involuntarily, just loud enough to be heard, and he was thankful that he had yet to take his mouthplate off as it helped to hide the rush of energon that was now staining his face a faint pink, and he was even more grateful that Mari had either not noticed or had chosen not to comment on it.

“I enjoy spending time with you too. It’s nice having you around the workshop, makes things less… lonely.” Mari placed a hand as far up his arm as she could reach, patting him soothingly while giving him a soft look that made his spark ache.

It wasn’t quite what he had planned, having wanted to take her out to "Visages" for something a little fancier than what they usually had at Swerve's before leading her over to the observation deck so that they could see out across the sea of stars when he confessed, but the moment felt right. He steeled his nerves, preparing himself to speak up, only for Mari to start speaking again, softer this time.

“I really do enjoy spending time with you. The best part of my day is getting away from the chaos on the rest of the ship and coming here to see you and knowing that I can just relax without having to worry that I’m bothering you by hanging around all the time.” She’d turned her face away from him as she started speaking, but as she continued she turned back to meet his gaze, eyes lit up with a tenderness he’d never once seen directed at himself before. “The time we spend together means a lot to me. _You_ mean a lot to me, Hoist.”

At this point Mari had set down her drink and risen up from her seated position while Hoist had twisted around in his seat, one arm braced across the surface of the workbench as he leaned forward, head angled to put him closer to her eye level as she continued to speak. "I want you to know how much I care about you, how I want nothing more than to see you happy. You're pretty good at hiding it but every so often I get a glimpse of all that _loneliness_ you've got buried deep down and my heart aches for you. I never want you to be lonely, or feel like you're unwanted, or think that no one sees you, because _I_ see you and when I do, I see someone who is worth so much more than he thinks."

Hoist had gradually moved closer as she spoke and now her hands were on either side of his mouthplate, cupping the locking mechanisms that held it in place. The servo not braced against the workbench had been left to hover in the air awkwardly as she spoke, but now he brought it up to rest above one of Mari’s hands, engulfing it entirely while still leaving her enough room to pull free if she wanted. He let it rest there briefly before moving to disengage the lock, shifting to undo the one on the opposite side as well. The only sound in the room besides the ever present hum of his inner workings was the soft click of his mouthplate as it disengaged, falling into his servo with a clink. 

Moving hesitantly, as if afraid to disrupt the rising tension, Hoist set it down on the workbench, mindful of Mari's still relatively full cup and his own untouched drink. She had shifted her hands out of the way when he removed his mouthplate but they still remained on his face, twin spots of warmth. Hoist let his servo hover over her hand again, the light of his optics painting her skin a faint blue as she moved in even closer.

“I love you.” 

When she said it, it made Hoist’s spark throb in its casing and as she closed the distance between them, lips pressed delicately against the corner of his mouth, he felt as if it might burst. Their size difference at the moment was too great for him to properly return her kiss, but he contented himself with using a single digit to trace the curve of her face with all the love and affection that he could muster, trying to convey to her the depth of his feelings with that one gesture.

Mari pulled back and of all the smiles she had ever directed his way, this one had to be his favorite, so bright and full of love that it was almost painful to look at, his already thrumming spark pulsing harder at the sight of her unadulterated happiness. His own grin was fully visible since he’d removed his mouthplate and it softened into a more tender look as he carefully cradled her upper half with a single, cupped servo.

“I love you too.”

She laughed, the joyful sound ringing out through the workshop, ducking in to press another kiss to the previous spot, before peppering a few soft and sweet kisses across the part of his face that she could reach.

“I actually had a much nicer confession in mind, but I guess you beat me to the punch.” Hoist’s expression was sheepish. “ I’m definitely not complaining about how things turned out, but I wanted to take you to “Visages” for nicer drinks than we usually have at Swerve’s. After that I wanted to head out for the observation deck for some privacy and a nice view of the stars, and then tell you there how I felt.”

“Well, we’ve already gotten some drinks,” she gestured to their unfinished beverages, “and we may have skipped a step or two ahead but that doesn’t mean we can’t still go stargazing.”

“Right now?”

“Why not? We can call it our first date.” She lifted her arms up, beaming up at him cheerfully. “Mind giving me a lift?”

He knew as well as she did that she didn’t actually need help navigating through the ship despite its size, that she hadn’t needed any assistance ever since Perceptor had built her a jetpack and Nautica had helped modify all the control panels so that they responded to her, but he carefully picked her up anyways, taking the silent invitation for what it was. He set her down on his shoulder and Mari quickly settled in, curling up against his neck with a pleased hum.

The short trip to the observation deck was silent, but comfortably so. Mari’s weight on his shoulder was reassuring, a constant reminder that he was _not_ alone, that she was there with him, and he almost wished that the walk was longer, if only so that he could enjoy the close contact for a little while more.

When they did get there, Hoist obligingly offered Mari his servo, waiting for her to step onto it before lowering it to the ground so she could safely hop off. She made an immediate beeline for the window, standing so closely to it that she was nearly pressed up against the glass. She gestured to the spot next to her invitingly, and after a brief pause, Hoist decided to shrink down, body folding in on itself until he was a little over twice her height. He opted to sit so that he didn’t tower over her quite so much. As soon as he sat down Mari promptly tucked herself against his side, slotting herself in between his arm and chest as if she had done it a hundred times before, as if her being with him like this was as natural to her as breathing, and at that moment the ease with which she touched him made him fall a little more in love with her.

“This is really nice Hoist.”

“I’m glad you like it. It’s not much, I know, but there’s only so many places you can actually get some privacy on this ship, and I wanted to ask you out before we got to the next planet so that if you said yes, I could take you on a proper date when we went planetside.”

“Trust me when I say that this was perfect. And that trip planetside sounds like it’d be a great third date.” Hoist looked down at her questioningly and Mari gave him a broad smile. “Of course I’ll be taking you out on our second date before then. What, did you think that I _wasn’t_ gonna take the first opportunity I could to show off my new, cute boyfriend?” Mari looked up at him slyly, giving him a wink that once again had energon rising up to color his face pink. “Besides, I’m pretty sure Swerve has a betting pool running on when we’d get together and I’m curious to see who won.”

Hoist laughed, face still pink, and filled with the overwhelming need to express how much he loved her, bent down to peck the top of her head. Mari quickly turned and hooked her arms around his neck before he could right himself, guiding him into a kiss. Though he was still considerably larger than her they were more evenly matched in size than when he was at his full size, which meant that he could properly kiss her back this time.

His spark had settled down since their earlier declarations of love, but it began to flutter wildly once more and Hoist could feel as the rumble of his engine increased as well, a sensation that Mari was sure to pick up on as close to him as she was. Just as she had previously, she refrained from commenting, instead pulling just far away enough that she could tilt her head up, lips curling into a smile as her eyes lit up with the same tenderness from before.

“I love you,” she said and it was just as sincere as the first time she’d said it. She could say it a thousand more times, and another thousand after that, and it would still send the same heady rush of devotion and adoration through him every time.

“I love you too,” he responded and it was overwhelming to be able to do that, to know that he loved her and she loved him in return. 

“I love you,” he said again, just because he could, because he was allowed to, because the enormity of his love for her was devastating in all the best ways.

“I love you so much.”

**Author's Note:**

> Title shamelessly stolen from the song Pleaser by Wallows which I 100% recommend giving a listen to. Check me out on tumblr @ratchetsboyfriend if you're interested in requesting a fic!


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